yes - certified

 

Torque is referenced in this case to acceleration - which is wrong.

HP difference determines acceleration rates, not torque.

Much like the whole boost vs flow thing - torque is a static measurement of force while HP tells you what the engine is doing.

 

I think this is what trips most people up.

Because an engine putting out only 1ft lb of torque but can spin fast enough to generate 1,000HP will simply not have a very good acceleration rate. Stick it on a 3,000lb vehicle, and I would struggle to believe it would move the car at all (without gear reduction for a torque multiplier). Not enough torque? or Not enough HP difference?

 

That is what gearing is for - to transform torque over time.

 

Torque is a vector, Work is a number. The confusion is both are newton meters.

 

When we tune on the dyno, we tune for torque.
The dyno computes horsepower for us and we go to great lengths to calculate out the effect of gearing.
The instantaneous torque at any RPM is like an integral in calculus - its an infinitely small slice of the overall curve of the motor. An instantaneous snapshot of the action of combustion at that moment.
We could tune for the "instantaneous" moment of power if we wanted to, but we would still be calculating, rather than measuring because we would be attempting to remove the value of time from the measurement - something we don't need to do with torque.

Once again, much like the boost vs. flow argument, I think people are over-thinking the "theory".
Just work practically - what metric gives us the most readily useful view of exactly what is going on at the exact, timeless snapshot that we are attempting to adjust?

 

My heads hurts. I am waiting for RG to chime in anytime

 

I think it is almost entirely semantics, personally. Everyone saying the same thing in a different way because they understand the same basis from a different perspective.




Important semantics though...

 

I know exactly what Jeff is saying and I am not disagreeing with him, though it's all style points.

The problem that I have is when people say "aw man we need more low end torque" - or "this car is slow because it lacks torque". As these are just silly ignorant statements; XYZ car is slow because it lacks power / a usable powerband - whatever. But the metric is power...not torque.

But ultimately yeah - most of us are saying the same thing, just from a different perspective.

 

Well, when they say "this car is slow because it lacks torque", it does need more "low-end torque"!
The problem is you can't feel torque because you exist in a space which is constrained by time.
You feel the power of acceleration, which is defined by time. So, in that instance, they are talking about power, even though it is defined by torque.

But, when you get that power, you are doing so by increasing torque.

 

hey you guys - how about you quit messing about and give some useful advice over here ...

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...27#post3427427

 

250 to 275 is perfect.

Can hall people and accerate on the freeway.

It's too bad all the HP is too much.

You either buy small HP or Bi HP.

They don't offer what's practicle.

 

Haha thanks Brettus

As someone who has daily driven a car with 660rwhp I can say....it was too much. REALLY fun, but not much use other than burning up sets of BFGs and destroying rear ends, clutches and torque tubes.

All in all I would say MM has it right, about 9:1 is just perfect. My vette when it was cam and bolt ons was no less of a blast to drive than after I supercharged it.

And now my boosted Rx8 with 300+ feels just perfect. More than enough to put a smile on my face and easily enough to get into trouble

 

wish i had a little bit more power, 200lbs less and 2k more revs

 

You guys are such a bad influence. Really.
Once again making me contemplate F/I.

 

If you are not greedy... you can do FI very reliable and fairly cheap.... as long as you are only shooting for 270WHP.

But most people get greedy.

 

Too true

 

Pun intended? Greddy?

 

Greddy with the AP, AEM intake and an oil/water CHRA is pretty much spot on for a 10:1HP car.

 

I no can haz torks?

 

when you can't hit full boost in 2nd gear without going sideways you are starting to have too much power. trust me on this.

 

yes - isn't it nice to think you CAN have too much power but are able to dial it back to "just right" .

 

lol yep, my vette used to roll out of traction in 4th with full throttle.

 

I'd say a good number you can really put down on teh RX-8 and still have fun is about 550whp...

once you break that it gets scary and its not fun anymore...its more of a "preventing death" kind of deal..lol

Chris

 

Lol. Try putting all that through the OE diff, tranny, axles and DS as you go around the roval at California Motorspeedway.

550 in an RX-8 would be fun exactly once.